01 [video]

[yeahscience]

Hello? Hello?

[The video switches on by accident to reveal a young man with mussed hair and a blood-red (or bloody?) t-shirt, prodding urgently at the communicator controls. His eyes are wide and red-rimmed, like he's been crying.]Hey, yo, what is this? What'd you bring me here for? If you're gonna kill me, man, just-- just do it, already, don't

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Voice/Private

[likedarkmatter]

[Alice's voice is quiet and very, very English.]

What's your name?

Voice/Private

[yeahscience]

[Jesse startles at the sound of a totally unfamiliar voice coming out of the communicator. He instantly sounds much more guarded.] Uh... Jesse. Who's this?

Voice/Private

[likedarkmatter]

My name's Alice. If you don't know where you are, then I have quite a lot to explain to you and you probably won't believe most of it.

Voice/Private

[yeahscience]

Look, lady, I've got no idea where I am. I'm in a room. That's the best I've got.

...Is, uh. Are they there? Mister White? ...Mister Fring?

Voice/Private

[likedarkmatter]

I'm afraid not.

It's really impossible for me to sugarcoat this. You're on the Barge. Either you've died, or you were on the brink of dying, and you were brought here. You're no longer on Earth.

Voice/Private

[yeahscience]

[There's silence on the other end for a long, long time.

What's funny is that, when he does speak again, he doesn't sound shocked or disbelieving at all. His voice is sort of dull; resigned, maybe.] Okay, so this is Hell? Pretty decent digs, for Hell.

Voice/Private

[likedarkmatter]

[She chuckles.]

Not Hell. More like Purgatory, if you must draw the comparison. You're presumably an Inmate. Eventually you'll be assigned a Warden, who will make it their job to have you repent of whatever misdeeds you've done during your life.

Then, you get a second chance. Or so I hear.

Voice/Private

[yeahscience]

[Jesse just laughs hollowly; there's a thunk, like his head is hitting the wall. His voice is sort of shaky again.] So it's like... purgatory, prison, and rehab, all rolled into one, huh? Sounds... great.

Voice/Private

[likedarkmatter]

Well, it's better than oblivion, isn't it? I personally had expected much less from the post-death experience.

Voice/Private

[yeahscience]

[Again, he's quiet for a minute.] I dunno. Is it?

Voice/Private

[likedarkmatter]

I think I prefer this to nonexistence. And it's certainly an attractive enough destination that most of our Wardens are taking a break from continuing lives to be here.

Voice/Private

[yeahscience]

Yeah. Okay. Uh.

Is there any way to like... contact the living? Or maybe find out if someone else died too?

Voice/Private

[likedarkmatter]

Not that I'm aware of. However, your Warden will be provided with a file on you - your life story, in a nutshell. If there's someone whose death is relevant then I don't doubt it'll get a mention.

You could also ask the Admiral, but I gather he's not often the sort to field questions.

Voice/Private

[yeahscience]

So who's the warden? Who's the Admiral? Yeah, I want to talk to them.

Voice/Private

[likedarkmatter]

Wardens are assigned to individual Inmates twice a month. You could be waiting a few days, a couple of weeks...longer, maybe.

The Admiral apparently operates the Barge and recruits Wardens. He's never actually been seen; all we ever hear is a disembodied voice during floods and before making port. You could send him a message if you liked but it's unlikely he'll respond.

Voice/Private

[yeahscience]

Weeks? Come on, fuck. I just want to know one thing. I just want one piece of information. I died, like, right in the middle of the information age, that can't be that difficult!